Optical Technology Researchers and Companies to be Showcased During OSA's Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics 2010

Innovations from more than 850 scientific, technical and educational presentations will be highlighted during the Optical Society's (OSA) 94th Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2010, being held Oct. 24 – 28 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. Held in conjunction with Laser Science XXVI, the annual meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Laser Science (DLS), the meeting will cover the breadth of optical science and engineering in five days of cutting-edge content, powerful networking and opportunities for scientific exchange. Exhibits featuring more than 80 leading optics companies, including local Rochester companies ASE Optics and Glass Fab, Inc., as well as Mildex, Inc. and Sydor Optics, Inc., will complement the in-depth educational programming and offer attendees a glimpse of the latest optical technologies and products.

WHAT: The Optical Society's Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics 2010

WHERE: Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, N.Y.

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 24 – Thursday, Oct. 28

More than 110 papers from New York-based researchers will be presented during FiO, covering a wide range of topics across the entire spectrum of optics and photonics. Highlights include:

Steroid Induced Osteoporosis - Researchers at the University of Rochester are developing a new way to monitor bone health and search for signs of osteoporosis, using infrared light. At Frontiers in Optics, Jason Maher, Andrew Berger, and their colleagues will present ongoing studies of the effects of steroids on the bones of mice. The presentation, "Steroid Induced Osteoporosis Detected by Raman Spectroscopy" is at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25.

A team of University of Rochester scientists is using the technique of Raman spectroscopy to study two common dental plaque bacteria, Streptococcus sanguis and mutans. The relative balance of the two may be an indicator of a patient's oral health and risk for tooth decay -- Streptococcus sanguis is associated with "healthy" plaque, while mutans is associated with tooth decay. Raman spectroscopy offers the potential to analyze samples of the bacterium in a simple, rapid and quantitative manner as compared to microbiology techniques, including the ability to study spatial distributions of bacterial species, living or dead, within samples. The talk, "Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy of Streptococcus sanguis and mutans," is at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

OSA Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment
University of Rochester Professor Joseph H. Eberly is the 2010 recipient of OSA's highest award for his many important research contributions to quantum optics and optical physics, his leadership as a teacher and educator and his tireless and visionary service to the optics community. He will be honored during the FiO Plenary and Awards session scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25.

Additional programming of note:

OSA Student Chapter Competition – "Feeding Young Minds" A new contest, sponsored by Newport Corporation and focused on youth education outreach, will take place during FiO 2010. This event provides OSA student chapters with the opportunity to showcase their best optics education lesson plan/demonstration and to compete for a cash prize of $500. Teams, including one from the University of Rochester, will demonstrate classroom activities involving everyday goods like corn syrup, Jell-O, and colored lights to teach children about the science of light. They will be judged by the following criteria: effectiveness, originality, reach, and tie-in with the contest theme, "Feeding Young Minds."

This event is free of charge and will take place in the Empire Hall of the Riverside Rochester Convention Center, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 12. - 2 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 27, 12 – 2 p.m.

This symposium commemorates Arthur Ashkin's contributions to the understanding and use of light pressure forces on the 40th anniversary of his seminal paper "Acceleration and trapping of particles by radiation pressure." Light pressure forces have served as the foundation for many cutting-edge research fields, such as work with optical tweezers, trapping of neutral particles and Bose-Einstein condensation. It is not an overstatement to say that the discovery and understanding of light pressure forces has led to a renaissance in atomic and molecular physics as well as optical science. Several historical overviews as well as new research that rest upon Ashkin's foundational work will be presented. Conference attendees are invited to help honor Ashkin and gain a deeper understanding of the far-reaching impact of his work in light-matter interactions.

About the Meeting
Frontiers in Optics 2010 is OSA's 94th Annual Meeting and is being held together with Laser Science XXVI, the annual meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Laser Science (DLS). The two meetings unite the OSA and APS communities for five days of quality, cutting-edge presentations, fascinating invited speakers and a variety of special events spanning a broad range of topics in physics, biology and chemistry. FiO 2010 will also offer a number of Short Courses designed to increase participants' knowledge of a specific subject while offering the experience of insightful teachers. An exhibit floor featuring leading optics companies will further enhance the meeting.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A Press Room for credentialed press and analysts will be located in Aqueduct AB of the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Sunday through Thursday. Those interested in obtaining a press badge for FiO should contact OSA's Lyndsay Meyer at +1 202.416.1435 or lmeyer@osa.org.

About OSA
Uniting more than 106,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.

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